STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s capital city, Stockholm, is spread across 14 islands connected by 57 bridges. Here, the freshwater of Lake Mälaren meets the brackish tides of the Baltic Sea. Even the city’s Viking-coded name reflects this layered geography and history: stock, meaning log or post, and holm, meaning islet. It’s a Viking city.
I stayed at a boutique hotel in Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s oldest neighborhood — a storybook setting of cobbled lanes and medieval buildings; compact, walkable, and full of surprises. Up any elevated alleyway, you’ll find small specialty shops and local vendors selling ice cream or hot snacks. A short walk away are popular chains with more international offerings.
I happened to visit during Midsommar, the festival marking the peak of Swedish summer. While viewers of the film might worry, I saw no bears or cults — just floral headpieces and white linen dresses. It’s one of the most earnest, unironic national celebrations I’ve ever seen.
The ABBA Museum. (Getty Images)
The sky stubbornly stays lit until nearly midnight — it is just as bright at 10 p.m. as it was at 10 a.m., making an early bedtime feel irrelevant. However, many of the nearby shops and cafés close around 7 pm.
As a self-professed foodie-in-training, meals were a feast for the eyes and stomach. I indulged in fresh salmon, brown meatballs, and nearly every pastry I could find. I also squeezed and sampled the condiments that seem to only come in toothpaste-like tubes for some reason. My hotel breakfast was full of quirky and fun delights — my plates looked like mad scientist experiments. I also tried every fresh juice and immune-boosting liquid potion they offered.
One of my favorite rituals was fika, the Swedish pause for coffee and something sweet. Unlike the Spanish siesta, fika is meant to be social. Coined in the 19th century by scrambling the syllables of kaffi (old spelling of coffee), it’s a cornerstone of calm and connection. While it traditionally involves hot coffee and a pastry, iced drinks are just as common these days. I quickly developed a preference for the cardamom bun (kardemummabulle) over the more common cinnamon (kanelbulle).
Stockholm’s intellectual energy is no surprise — it is, after all, the home of the Nobel Prize. A visit to the Nobel Museum offers deeper insight. Another fun fact: Sweden introduced the world’s first banknote in the 1660s, and yes, there’s a museum for that too. Their colorful krona banknotes feature portraits of notable women.
Kanelbulle in Stockholm. (Getty Images)
The Royal Palace is an architectural masterpiece overlooking the water and well worth the price of admission.
My favorite activity of all, though, was simply wandering round the city. I found bookshops dedicated entirely to science fiction, another to transportation, and dozens more with niche themes.
Stockholm is also a city of boats. Ferries and leisure craft buzz between the islands, reflecting the city’s deep history of fishing and trade.
There’s also a pleasing architectural balance: clean lines contrast with centuries-old facades. Even the metro doubles as art. Often called the world’s longest art gallery, over 90 of its 100 subway stations contain murals, mosaics, and sculptures — many carved into raw bedrock. Even short commutes feel like cultural excursions.
One such trip took us to Skansen, the world’s first open-air museum, on Djurgården island. Founded in the 1890s, it combines living history with a Nordic animal park. Inside, you can stroll through a recreated 19th-century town, then turn a corner to see animals lounging beneath giant trees. With live musicians playing folk songs and so much greenery, it truly feels like stepping into a fairytale.
Nearby, the ABBA Museum celebrates Sweden’s most famous musical export. And all across the country, Dala horses — carved wooden steeds painted in red, blue, and white — stand proudly in shops and public spaces. They became my favorite souvenir, along with hand-painted kanelbulle earrings.
While I didn’t catch the aurora borealis this time and wish I’d explored more of the country — there’s always next time. I had such an enriching experience, I will definitely be back. Sweden is a place that invites you to build your own destiny at your own pace — much like an IKEA cabinet.
